A friend recently asked me, “There are so many great organizations out there. What really is the difference with HOPE?” I paused before responding. I didn’t like his question because it felt like he was looking for me to talk about HOPE’s competitive advantage in relation to other organizations. When comparing ourselves with other...
Why I’m Getting out of Microfinance
Recently I presented at the Chicago Microfinance Summit (see LiveBlog: Chicago Microfinance Conference). In all sessions I attended, the topics centered on investors and profitability. Strikingly absent were the clients. It was at that moment that I decided, “If this is microfinance, I want out.” When Muhammad Yunus began his pioneering work in microfinance...